Expand Your Summer Reading--Set Up Alert Services
Are you looking for a way to catch up on journal readings? Would you like to have specific database search results emailed to you? Then take a look at the new CSU Libraries Webpage about Alert Services. (http://lib.colostate.edu/research/alerts/)
Saved Search Alerts and Table of Contents (TOC) Alerts are two ways of staying current without having to regularly access databases.
Alert Services
Alert services allow you to save a database search and automatically run the search at designated time intervals. The search results are sent to your email address, helping you stay up-to-date with new publications in your field. Depending on the service, the email may contain a list of citations, links to full-text articles, or a table of contents for a particular journal. Saved Search Alerts and Table of Contents (TOC) Alerts are two ways of staying current without having to regularly access databases. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to establish alerts for various resources.
Saved Search Alerts are initiated from a database. Generally the database will save one or more search strings and automatically perform the search on a weekly or monthly basis. The results of the automatic search are sent via email and contain the citations for articles that have been published on your topic since the last alert.
Table of Contents Alerts are often initiated from the publisher. When a new issue of the journal is published you will be notified by an email that contains the Table of Contents for the new journal issue.